For the first two months of 2022, U.S. and Canadian Class 8 natural gas truck retail sales rose 21% compared with the same time period in 2021, according to ACT Research’s recently released Alternative Fuels Quarterly report.

“Sales of NG-powered vehicles as reported by the six major truck OEMs, who account for approximately 60% of the heavy-duty natural gas market, were mixed in the December to February time period, with December and January experiencing strong year-over-year gains but February lagging considerably,” Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research, said. “In the near term, December’s sales easily outshone January and February’s activity, which paled in comparison. Combined, sales in the three-month period extended and increased YTD gains meaningfully, a relatively new development.

“Besides sales, the Alternative Fuels Quarterly analyzes the change in existing and planned alternative fuel/power infrastructure and equipment developments. We’re seeing an overall increase in electric charging stations, both existing and planned, but a continuing decline of total natural gas stations, particularly those planned for the future. That said, we still see articles about natural gas use in transportation, as well as discussions about hydrogen fuel cells and investments, but the overwhelming amount of trade industry headlines continues to focus on electric commercial vehicle development.”